Whiffletree.



' PATENTED 0cT'.1s,'1 9oe.

W. T. DAVES.

. WHIPPLBTREB.

APPLIOATION rmm 1-33.23. 1906.

UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

WHIFFLETREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed February 23, 1906. Serial No. 302,610,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that .1, WILLIAM T. DAVES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madisonville, in the county of Hopkins and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Whiflletrees, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to whiffletrees, and more particularly to clips for connecting swingletrees to doubletrees; and it contemplates the provision in a whiffletree of a clip constructed with a view of efiecting a strong and durable connection between a swingletree and a doubletree and at the same time preventing the swingletree striking the legs of a horse when the traces are slackened, as when the vehicle bearing my improvements is moving downhill.

Other advantageous features of my invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of so much of a whifiietree as is necessary to illustrate the application and manner of using my novel clip. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the doubletree and my novel clip in the direction of the length of the latter. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clip removed.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which- A is a doubletree.

B is a swingletree which is provided at its middle with the usual loop a, of metal, and is otherwise of the ordinary well-known con struction.

O is the chain usually employed to connect one end of the doubletree with the runninggear of a wagon with a view of preventing undue forward movement of the said end of the doubletree.

-D is my novel clip, and E and F are the bolts through the medium of which the clip is fixedly connected to the doubletree. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, my novel clip D is formed in one piece of metal, and comprises a body 1), adapted to rest on top of the doubletree A and having a U-shaped loop 0 at its rear end arranged to receive the rear edge of the doubletree, a hook d, disposed at the rear of the loop 0 and designed for the ready connection of the chain C, and a post e, rising from the forward end of the body 6 and having a rearward extension f disposed about the proportional distance illustrated above the body I) and apertured, as indicated byg. The rear side of the post (2 is rounded, as indicated by h, in order to permit free lateral play ormovement of the link k, permanently engaged with the swingletree-loop a and designed to efiect connection of saidloop to the clip.

In the practical use of my novel clip the same is arranged on the doubletree in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2'L. 0., so

that the body b rests on top of the doubletree and the loop 0 receives the rear edge of the doubletree. The bolt E is then passed through a forward aperture Z in the body I) and a cured below the doubletree by a nut or the like, while the bolt F is passed through. a rear aperture m in the clip-body, the doubletree, and an aperture p in the lower portion of the loop 0 in the order named and is also secured below the said lower portion of loop 0 by a nut or other means. The aperture 9 in the rearward extension f of the post e serves to receive the forward bolt E when it is desiredto utilize said bolt in retaining the link 7c in the hook formed by the said post e and its rearward extension f.

By virtue of the loop a of my novel clip receiving the rear edge of the doubletree A it will be seen that forward pull exerted on the clip will be placed on the rear edge of the doubletree, and hence there is no liability of the clip pulling away from the doubletree, even in the event of the doubletree splitting at the points where the bolts E and F pass therethrough.

The post 6 of the clip is materially advanta eous for the reason that the link 1c, which is held on the post by the rearward extension f, maintains the swingletree B close to the doubletree when the traces are slackened and in that way prevents the swingletree from dropping down and striking the legs of the horse. The said post eis also advantageous because it enables the loop or link is to exert pull on the clip in the direction of the length of the latter and in that way conduces to the strength and durability of the clip.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that my novel clip is susceptible of being applied and attached to a doubletree with the same facility as an ordinary clip and that the clip as an article of manufacture may be proso through the doubletree and is se duced almost if not quite as cheaply as an ordinary clip.

I have specifically described the clip constituting the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a definite understanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood as con fining myself to the specific construction and relative arrangement of parts as hereinbefore set forth, as such changes or modifications maybe made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as claimed. Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a whiflietree, of a doubletree, a clip comprising an apertured body resting on the upper side of the'double tree and having a loop receiving the rear edge of said doubletree, and a post rising from the forward end of said body and having a rearward extension in which is an aperture alined with one of the apertures in the body, a bolt passed through the rear aperture of the clipbody, the doubletree and an aperture in the lower end of the clip-loop, a bolt passed through the aperture in the post extension of the clip and one of the apertures in the body thereof and also through the doubletree, a swingletree having a loop at its middle, and a ring interlocked with said loop and receiving the post of the clip.

2. The combination in a whifiletree, of a doubletree, a clip secured on the doubletree and comprising a body resting on the upper side of the doubletree and having a depending loop at its rear end receiving the rear edge of the doubletree, means for fixing the said loop on the doubletree, and a post rising from the forward end of said body and having a rearward extension arranged above the body to afford a space between the two, a swingletree having a loop at its middle, and a link or ring interlocked with said loop and receiving the post of the clip.

3. The combination in a whiflietree, of a doubletree, a cli formed of one piece of metal and suitab y secured on the doubletree; said clip comprising a body resting on the upper side of the doubletree and having a loop receiving the rear edge thereof, a hook extending rearwardly from said loop, and a post rising from the forward end of the body and having a rearward extension, a staychain engaged with the hook of the clip, and a swingletree having a loop at its'middle, and a link or ring interlocked with said loop and receiving the post of the clip.

4. As an article of manufacture, a clip formed of one piece of metal and comprising a body having a loop at its rear end, a hook disposed on the rear side of the loop, and a post rising from the forward end of the body and having a rearward extension arranged above the body.

5. As an article of manufacture, a clip for the purpose set forth, comprising a body having fore and aft apertures and also having a loop at its rear end and an aperture in the lower part of the loop, a hook arranged on the rear side of the said loop, and a post rising from the forward end of the body and having a rearward extension in which is an aperture alined with the forward aperture in the body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM T. DAVES. Witnesses:

JOHN J. MoINTIRE, JOSEPH M. HOFFMAN. 

